Three Forms Podcast

After covering the Five Heads of Doctrine, and Rejecting the corresponding errors, the Synod of Dort wrote their own Conclusion to their work! Thanks for listening to our Podcast series. Conclusion Rejection of False Accusations And so this is the clear, simple, and straightforward explanation of the orthodox teaching on the five articles in dispute in the Netherlands, as well as the rejection of...

Did Jesus really pray for our faith to persevere to the end? While some of the Remonstrants claimed he didn't, it appears that they forgot Jesus' pray for the disciples, and us, in John chapter 17! VI Who teach that the teaching of the assurance of perseverance and of salvation is by its very nature and character an opiate of the flesh and is harmful to godliness, good morals, prayer, and other ho...

Pointing to Scripture, the Synod rejects the errors of those teaching: that God gives you grace to persevere, yet it remains up to you, or you can only have assurance of faith if visited by an angel. Rejection of the Errors Concerning the Teaching of the Perseverance of the Saints. Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those: 1 Who teach that the perseverance of t...

God's Word isn't just the start of our faith, but the Preaching, Reading, Meditating on, and demonstration thereof through the Sacraments, preserve and build us in our precious faith. Article 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so God preserves, continues, and completes this work by the hearing...

Is assurance of your salvation something you can have? Is it something you must always have at all times? What of seasons of doubt? We consider these questions and more in this episode! Article 9: The Assurance of This Preservation Concerning this preservation of those chosen to salvation and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith, believers themselves can and do become assured in...

God's people, at times can fall into grievous, even monstrous sin! But this sin is not a surprise to the Lord, and He still will bring to completion the salvation that He both promised and began. Article 5: The Effects of Such Serious Sins By such monstrous sins, however, they greatly offend God, deserve the sentence of death, grieve the Holy Spirit, suspend the exercise of faith, severely wound t...

Just as God's Word teaches that we can not save ourselves, the Fifth Head of Doctrine reminds us that we also do not remain in Jesus by our power. Instead, it is He who preserves His people to the end! The Fifth Main Point of Doctrine The Perseverance of the Saints Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin Those people whom God according to his purpose calls into fellowship with his Son...

Is our salvation up to us or up to God? This question was at the heart of the error of the Arminians, and thus here the Synod continued to refute that error in these paragraphs. V Who teach that corrupt and natural humanity can make such good use of common grace (by which they mean the light of nature) or of the gifts remaining after the fall that they are able thereby gradually to obtain a greate...

Here the Synod rejects those that have failed to correctly triage the human spiritual condition, as they think that Original Sin will not condemn someone to Hell, unless other sins are added to it. Rejection of the Errors Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those I Who teach that, properly speaking, it cannot be said that original sin in itself is enough to cond...

Though marred by sin, people are not merely "stocks and blocks," or treated as robots, God reprogramming us against our will. Instead, His Spirit treats us as human, while healing and correcting us. Article 16: Regeneration’s Effect However, just as by the fall humans did not cease to be human, endowed with intellect and will, and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race, did not...

Scripture does not tell us that we must fully understand all of the details of our Salvation in this life. Instead, we rest in and are satisfied that we have truly received and experienced grace! Article 13: The Incomprehensible Way of Regeneration In this life believers cannot fully understand the way this work occurs; meanwhile, they rest content with knowing and experiencing that, by this grace...

Irresistible Grace summarizes much of the "God active" language we see all throughout Scripture related to our salvation. God is the one that moves and transforms our hearts and minds to respond. Article 10: Conversion as the Work of God The fact that others who are called through the ministry of the gospel do come and are brought to conversion must not be ­credited to human effort, as though one...

God's Word, and thus all Calvinist, believe in the free proclamation and offer of the Gospel. This call is not fake, or half hearted. And when people ignore that call, it is on them, and not God. Article 7: God’s Freedom in Revealing the Gospel In the Old Testament, God revealed this secret of his will to a small number; in the New Testament (now without any distinction between peoples) God disclo...

While we confess Total Depravity, God's Word does not teach that humans are Utterly Depraved, or as bad as they could be. No, even after the Fall, there still remains glimmerings of our former glory. Article 4: The Inadequacy of the Light of Nature There is, to be sure, a certain light of nature remaining in all people after the fall, by virtue of which they retain some notions about God, natural...

The Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine were combined, as the Synod of Dort did not disagree with how the Arminians described human depravity. The issue was, they failed to live into their own teaching. The Third and Fourth Main Points of Doctrine Human Corruption, Conversion to God, and the Way It Occurs Article 1: The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature Human beings were originally created in the...

The Canons reject the false teaching that Jesus death purchased a blanket reconciliation or reversal of Original Sin, but rather the specific redemption of his people, the church, the bride of Christ. Rejection of the Errors Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those: V Who teach that all people have been received into the state of reconciliation and into the gra...

Jesus did not just make salvation possible in theory, but rather accomplished a definite atonement for the sins of his people. Not just a potential, but rather the guarantee of our salvation! Rejection of the Errors Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those I Who teach that God the Father appointed his Son to death on the cross without a fixed and definite plan...

Not all receive Christ' Atonement, but this is not due to any lack or short coming with Christ. Rather the blame is to be imputed wholly upon the lost, who have rejected him. Canons Of Dort, Second Head Of Doctrine Article 6: Unbelief, a Human Responsibility However, that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacri...

The ripple effects of sin must be addressed, and thus our redemption must be accomplished! Thankfully, Jesus' sacrifice is both sufficient for the world, and efficiently applied to God's people. The Second Main Point of Doctrine Christ's Death and Human Redemption Through It Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires God is not only supremely merciful, but also supremely just. This jus...

Rejecting the errors of double talk, the Canons again focus on the Biblical testimony, whereby God's people are given grounds for their confidence in the faith. Rejection of Errors VI: Who teach that not every election to salvation is unchangeable, but that some of the chosen can perish and do in fact perish eternally, with no decision of God to prevent it. By this gross error they make God change...

While it is important to make the positive case for the truth, the Canons also value the clear and direct refutation of errors, specifically by comparing these false claims to Scripture. Rejection of the Errors I: Who teach that the will of God to save those who would believe and persevere in faith and in the obedience of faith is the whole and entire decision of election to salvation, and that no...

Added after the first draft, Article 17 addresses the understandable concern of Godly parents, what happens to children that die in their infancy? Thankfully, our salvation does not rest upon us! Article 17: The Salvation of the Infants of Believers Since we must make judgments about God’s will from his Word, which testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature but by virtue of t...

The doctrine of reprobation deals with God's decree, whereby some are left in their sins, unto eternal judgment. While not a pleasant doctrine to consider, it is what God has revealed in His Word. Article 15: Reprobation Moreover, Holy Scripture most especially highlights this eternal and undeserved grace of our election and brings it out more clearly for us, in that it further bears witness that...

The Canons of Dort do not discuss the doctrine of Election as a mystery, that should leave God's people eternally wondering about their salvation, but rather as a reason to have assurance in Christ. Article 11: Election Unchangeable Just as God is most wise, unchangeable, all-knowing, and almighty, so the election made by him can neither be suspended nor altered, revoked, or annulled; neither can...

Which comes first, faith or election? If salvation and God's plan, to work all things for good (Rom. 8:28), was based upon our fickle faith, His plans would never be secure. But thankfully it is not! Article 8: A Single Decree of Election This election is not of many kinds, but one and the same for all who were to be saved in the Old and the New Testament. For Scripture declares that there is a si...